Consumer Guide to Apples & Pears

rs a e P & s e l pp A O T E D I U G R E M U S CON

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2016

BOSC

ASIAN

Asian pears vary in color from golden yellow to russet green and are oftentimes speckled with brown spots. Most commonly grown in the U.S. are Japanese varieties that have a round squat shape similar to an apple. Prized for their crunchy texture, the creamy white flesh of the Asian pear is exceptionally juicy with a sweet, low-acid flavor and fragrant aroma. Unlike regular pears, Asian pears are sold ripe and maintain a crisp texture long after being picked.

Midseason pear.

Best uses: Eat this pear like an apple because it is best fresh! Add sliced or cubed to salads or grate and add to coleslaw. Their sweet flavor and juiciness will add moisture and flavor to cakes, pies, muffins and quick breads. Try using as a substitute wherever apples are called for.

Storage: Asian pears will keep a week or two at room temperature and up to three months refrigerated.

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8 VARIETIES WORTHY OF EVERY BITE STORY BY ALTHEA BORCK, AZURE TEAM

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ere’s a little-known fact about pears: They are one of the few fruits that does not ripen on the tree. Pears (with the exception of Asian) are harvested when mature, but not yet ripe, and, if left at room temperature, slowly reach a sweet and succulent maturity as they ripen from the inside out. Each variety has its own texture, flavor and purpose in the kitchen, but all are worthy of a bite. Here are eight varieties we sell under the Azure Husbandry or Azure Market brands.

Compare and pick the variety that works for you!

Red Bartlett

Boldly flavored with an almost smoky sweetness and a gentle earthy musk, the Bosc pear is a pleasure to eat. Its distinctive shape includes a long, skinny neck and thick, brownish skin.

Its flavor can be wonderfully deep and densely sweet.

Bosc can be tough and tasteless when not perfectly ripe (the skin is a bit tough, too), but it doesn’t need to be soft to be ripe, so it can be hard to tell.

Best uses: One of our favorites in fruit salads, but not as ideal for baking.

Storage: Bosc pears store really well in the refrigerator for long periods, but should be taken out of the fridge to ripen (they ripen in a couple of days), and as soon as they start to be slightly soft along the neck, they’re ready to eat.

BARTLETT (RED OR GREEN)

This is the variety most of us think of when it comes to pears. It has the classic pear shape with lime-green to yellow skin (more golden when it’s super ripe) or a burnt-red color. Bartletts are sweet, soft and delicious, but you have to be careful they don't get too ripe.

Best uses: Bartlett is traditionally known as the canning pear but is also great dried. When ripe, the soft flesh bruises easily but

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rewards eaters with copious juice. If you opt to bake with it, makes sure it’s not quite ripe.

Storage: The Bartlett ripens at room temperature, but stores for two months in the refrigerator. When the skin is green, it is crunchy and tart. When the skin is yellow-green, the pear is mildly sweet and soft. The skin should be firm-soft for optimal eating and cooking.

Green Bartlett

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D’Anjou

COMICE

This pear is fat and round with a short neck and thick stem. The Comice is green but can have red streaks as it ripens.

Its flesh is often described as “creamy.” Lusciously textured and earthy in flavor, we like to eat the Comice out of hand; it’s a great shape to hold. This is a high-end pear with a unique texture and extraordinary flavor.

Best uses: This mellow pear makes exceptional desserts and pairs well with cheese.

Storage: Comice is a winter pear variety, and stores well when kept cold (in the low 30s Fahrenheit) for three to five months.

When ready to eat, just remove from the cold and let ripen on the counter for a day or two. As soon as its firm-soft to the touch, eat and enjoy. If overripe, it loses the creamy texture.

CONCORDE

Often considered a winter Bartlett or Thanksgiving Bartlett with a similar flavor profile, the Concorde is appropriate for just about any circumstance.

Sweet and fragrant with slight hints of vanilla, it is a good choice for baking and poaching, holding its shape well at high heats.

Another perk: The flesh doesn’t brown in the air as quickly as other pear varieties, making it a good aesthetic choice for garnishes and salads.

Late-season pear.

Best uses: The Concorde pear is an excellent multipurpose pear. Great to use in baked dishes or cooked recipes, and serves well on salads and with cheese, too.

Storage: Like all pears, Concorde ripens best at room temperature. As it ripens, it becomes slightly softer and more mellow in flavor.

Concorde

D’ANJOU (GREEN OR RED)

The Anjou (or D'Anjou) pear can be green or red. It’s squatly, with a round shape and a thicker stem that’s kind of nestled into the neck. Anjous are a basic, all-purpose pear.

You can snack on it (it is ripe when it gives to gentle pressure around the stem), put in salads or baked goods. Bright-green even when ripe, the green Anjou has a sweetly, mellow flavor with a hint of citrus. The red Anjou is sweeter and milder with subtle hints of sweet spice. Mid- to late-season pear.

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STARKRIMSON

Best uses: This is the kind of pear to eat for breakfast: Sliced over warm cereal, its flavor is both comforting and bright.

While it’s delicious eaten raw, it’s versatile, holding up just as well to baking, poaching and roasting.

Storage: Store in the refrigerator and ripen at room temperature. Depending on its level of ripeness when purchased, the Anjou pear may take between three and five days to ripen.

An early-season pear, the Starkrimson is named for its brilliant crimson-red color and features a thick, stocky stem. It has a lingering taste of perfume and a smooth, soft texture with a mild sweetness. It is very juicy when ripe.

The Starkrimson is one of the few pears that the skin changes color as it ripens — turning from deep to bright crimson — and its floral aroma and sweet juice develops during ripening, as well. The skin also becomes more thin and delicate.

FORELLE

“Forelle” means “trout” in German, a namesake reflected in this small pear’s red-spotted green skin.

Firmer and tarter than other varieties, this pear resembles an apple in both taste and texture. It’s great for eating out of hand or sliced with salads, cheese or a drizzle of honey.

Best uses: Because of its small size, the Forelle is not the best choice for most recipes, unless it is chopped into colorful salads. But its size makes it great for snacking! When canned, the Forelle retains its crisp texture and doesn’t turn soft.

Storage: Like all pears, the Forelle ripens at room temperature.

It may take several days before it begins to signal ripeness.

Best uses: This pear is best served fresh to show off its vivid color and sweet flavor. Pair this pear with peaches in a delicious summer fruit salad.

Storage: It doesn’t keep well, but as with all pears, store in the refrigerator and ripen at room temperature. Once ripe, return to the refrigerator for a longer shelf-life.

Forelle

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AKANE

One of the best earlyseason apples, Akane is popular in the U.S. with origins in Japan. A cross between a Worcester Pearmain and a Jonathan apple, it is often considered a summer apple. Red, sometimes crimson skin, with an off-white to yellow flesh, it is medium-sized in a short round shape. A blend of sweet and sharp flavors and a juicy finish, it is crisp but not dense, making it easy to eat. And here’s a perk: The flesh does not oxidize quickly!

Best uses: Eat fresh on salads or topped on breakfast cereals. The Akane apple keeps fresh for about one week on the counter, but in the fridge it’ll keep for three or four weeks.

BRAEBURN

A modern star among apple varieties thanks to its depth of flavor and ease of growth, Braeburn apples originated in New Zealand in the 1950s. In time, it would be planted in all 4

A COOK’S GUIDE TO APPLE VARIETIES AND THEIR USES STORY BY ALTHEA BORCK, AZURE TEAM

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e can’t deny our love of apple season at Azure. In fact, we sell more than 20 organic apple varieties under the Azure Husbandry and Azure Market brands. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, and that’s true of any apple: All of them are packed with vitamin C and fiber, including the highly beneficial soluble fiber called pectin. The following is a deeper look at the Azure apple season — from wellknown modern apples to heirloom varieties prized for their flavor and heritage. Which will you be cooking with this season? the major, warm, applegrowing regions of the world. The apple boasts reddish tones on a yellow to light-green background with pale cream to goldenflesh color. With a robust spicy-sweet flavor and a crisp bite, it is a favorite for eating fresh but for many desserts, too. It’s a good keeper and of our crispest apples. Late-season apple.

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Cameo

Best uses: Cooking, baking, drying or eating fresh, Braeburn does it all.

It’s a great apple for pies and tarts because it holds its shape well and doesn’t release a lot of liquid. Use it in applesauces, too.

CAMEO

A fairly new apple variety (discovered in 1987), Cameo is reminiscent of Red Delicious and Golden Delicious but does not have the intense red coloration of its apple cousin. It’s a large apple with yellow- and redstriped or spotted skin and boasts a dense cream-colored flesh that resists browning.

It’s crispy, juicy and sweettart, making it a good keeper and an all-purpose apple.

Midseason apple.

Best uses: Enjoy this apple fresh or topped on salads. An all-purpose apple in the kitchen.

CRITERION

An heirloom variety from the 1820s, this apple is so golden it’s almost white.

It boasts a more delicate flavor profile compared to its cousin Golden Delicious, but their texture is similar to Honeycrisp. It also stores well, and tastes better after being stored for longer periods. Because Criterions bruise easily, the apple declined in popularity. (The bruises show up more on the fair skin.) But if you don’t mind a little bit of a bruised look, the flavor is amazing!

Another perk: It doesn’t turn brown as fast as most apples.

Best uses: A popular garnish and salad apple and great for eating. But it’s also excellent for drying.

Azure Standard ~ 971-200-8350

Best uses: We like to use this apple in desserts due to its intense honey flavor, although it is typically eaten fresh. It’s also a good choice for applesauce.

FORTUNE

EARLY BLAZE GOLDEN

This is an extremely early Golden Delicious cultivar with a flavor profile similar to Golden Delicious. A summer apple, the Early Blaze doesn’t keep as well as other apples. And while it has the same sweetly, mild flavor as its apple cousin, the skin has a tint of red in it.

Best uses: Enjoy this apple fresh and use it in anything you’d use a Golden Delicious. An all-purpose apple for a very short time.

ELSTAR

An offspring of Golden Delicious, the Elstar was developed in the Netherlands in the 1950s. It is a popular, easy-eating dessert apple. Golden yellow overlaid with deep red, the flesh is yellow-white with a honey sweetness and a crispy texture that is not overly crunchy. It has a Granny Smith-type flavor but unlike its cousin, it comes earlier in the season and has a red blush. Midseason apple.

EMPIRE (LIBERTY )

In North America, deep-red apples have always been popular and Empire is a typical example of this style. The color is an intense maroon-red, overlying a light-green background; it simply shouts, “Eat me!”

Empire was developed in the 1940s and is a relative of Red Delicious and McIntosh apples. It is often considered an ideal lunch-box apple, not least because it doesn’t bruise easily. A sweet apple with a crisp texture and brightwhite flesh, its flavor is best described as with a hint of melon or pineapple.

Midseason apple.

Best uses: The Empire apple is excellent for eating out of hand or in salads, and good for sauces, baking and freezing.

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Fuji

Developed in 1996, this apple is a newcomer to the apple kingdom. It has a tender, red skin and spicy sweet-tart flavor. A larger apple with crisp, cream-colored flesh, the Fortune has all the qualities of a great all-purpose apple. Fortune, fortunately, is a superkeeper.

Late-season apple.

Best uses: You’ll have great fortune using Fortune apples in baking, cooking, salads and eating out of hand.

This makes Fuji one of the better keepers with the widest range of time when they’re available.

Best uses: As a general rule, Fujis are too juicy for baking, but they’re great for eating fresh. Use them to add a touch of sweetness in salads and slaws — or, slice them up and use them as a sweet-crisp complement to your fall cheese board.

They’re great dried as well!

You can use them in any recipe that calls for sweet apples.

FUJI

Developed in Japan in the 1940s, the Fuji is an attractive modern apple with a crisp, sweet-flavored texture. Its main characteristic is the lovely pink-speckled flush over a yellow-green background.

The flavor is predominantly sweet and refreshing.

Plus, it stores well. All of these reasons are why Fuji is one of the most widely grown apple varieties in the world. At Azure, the first Fuji subvariety (September Wonder) is harvested in mid-September, while the late varieties are available in November.

GALA

Sweet, aromatic and highly versatile, Gala ranks among the nation’s most-popular apple varieties for a very good reason: It is the quintessential all-purpose apple. Boasting a sweetly pleasant flavor and a thin red-orange skin, Gala is crisp and juicy. In fact, it tastes similar to a Golden Delicious because the two are related. Early season and a good keeper.

Best uses: Gala is especially suitable for creating sauces, but you can also add it to salads or serve baked.

It is a good apple for eating out of hand, but most often is used in desserts.

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GINGER GOLD

Discovered in 1969 in Virginia, the Ginger Gold is a large apple with greenish-gold skin, which is sometimes tinged with a slight blush when fully mature. The crisp, juicy flesh is pure white and resists turning brown for hours. When the apple is first picked, it is flavorful and tart with a sweetly spicy aftertaste, but as it matures under refrigeration, its flesh becomes mellow and honey sweet. It’s best eaten within two months of harvest. It is the earliest variety of a golden-type apple, and is a reasonably good keeper. It tastes like a fall apple (crisp and crunchy), but is in fact a summer apple.

Best uses: Ginger Gold’s resistance to browning makes it a good choice for salads and garnishes.

But it holds its shape when cooked. If you want to eat an apple in August, this is the one!

GOLDEN DELICIOUS

No, it’s not related to the Red Delicious, but this apple has a sweet, mild flavor that you’ll fall in love with.

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Discovered in West Virginia in 1914, this medium-to-large pale yellow or yellow-green apple keeps really well. Although it is crisp when harvested in October, its skin shrivels when not refrigerated while the flesh stays firm.

Best uses: Particularly desirable for snacks, fresh desserts and salads. A good all-purpose apple. We love it for applesauce!

GRANNY SMITH

Tart in taste with taut green skin, Granny Smiths are ubiquitous. The Granny Smith apple gets its name from its founder, Mrs. Mary Ann (Granny) Smith. Crisp and firm, it doesn’t have the most poetic of flavors, but its hard flesh makes it a good all-purpose apple. At Azure, we let the Granny Smith get a little riper before we pick it so that its flavor is more robust and sweeter. Late-season apple.

Best uses: Granny Smiths lend bright flavor and invigorating crunch to salads. Picked in November, this variety is perfectly tasty in classic fall desserts, too.

In fact, if you like apple pie with a bit of a tart bite, go with Granny Smith!

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HONEYCRISP

The wonders and the joy of a Honeycrisp apple. It is by far the most-beloved of the apple varieties if only because it has a near-perfect balance of sweetness, tartness and juiciness. A large apple with red-andyellow-striped tender skin, the honeyed flesh just drips with juice. It’s a favorite for eating fresh, but does not store well in controlled environments, so enjoy while it is available! Earlyto midseason apple.

Best uses: The Honeycrisp is best when eaten fresh. It is easy to bite into (crunchy, but not dense).

It does fairly well when cooked, but doesn’t hold together well for pies. It’s an excellent choice for applesauce.

JONAGOLD

Introduced in 1968, the Jonagold is a large, slightly round apple with red or yellow skin blushed with faint orange-red stripes.

A supercrisp and juicy apple, Jonagold boasts an even balance of sweet and tart, with a honeyed finish.

Jonagolds taste similar and have a similar texture to Honeycrisp; Jonagolds are

just a bit more tart.

Midseason apple.

Best uses: This is an excellent all-purpose apple in the kitchen, including apple cider and juicing. But it’s also great for eating out of hand.

NEWTOWN PIPPIN Newtown Pippin is one of the oldest American apple varieties, being wellknown in the 18th century and probably raised as a seedling by early settlers on Long Island. In fact, this heirloom apple was made famous by none other than Thomas Jefferson, who grew the apple in his orchards at Monticello. The apple is considered a “winter” apple because it is picked quite late in the season. It is hard and unappetizing if eaten straight from the tree, so it is best stored for one to two months before being used over the winter period.

Best uses: Newtown Pippin is an all-purpose apple, being excellent for eating fresh, cooking and for juicing and hard cider.

When cooked, Newtown Pippin retains some of its shape and produces a textured puree with a rich flavor. It’s ideal for pie fillings and sauce. It’s the best baking apple there is!

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BASIC STORAGE TIPS

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f you aren’t making applesauce or pie filling out of the apples you get in your Azure order, how do you store them for optimal flavor and long life? Here are a few general tips and guidelines to help.

OPAL

Developed in Europe in 1999, this modern apple variety is a relative of Golden Delicious. Its flavor is sweet and mild with a crisp finish, but unlike the Golden Delicious, it was specifically developed not to brown.

Mid- to late-season apple.

Only available in the Azure Market brand.

Best uses: Eat this fresh or slice it into your fruit salad.

PINK LADY

Did you know Pink Lady is a trademark and the actual variety is more correctly known as Cripps Pink? One of the bestknown modern apples, this intensely flavored sweettart apple with its brightpink skin flecked with yellow-green was developed in Australia in the 1980s. Pink Lady apples have a crunchy texture; the white flesh offers a “fizz-like” burst of flavor. Pink Ladies are one of the last to be picked, a late-season apple.

Pink Lady

TO REFRIGERATE OR NOT TO REFRIGERATE? • Store in the refrigerator to keep apples crisp for three to four weeks or store outside of the refrigerator in a cool, dry place to keep crisp for about one week.

• Room temperature is fine, for a short time. A colorful bowl of apples can brighten any kitchen counter-top, but apples will generally keep well on the counter for only up to three days.

• For even longer-term storage, you can keep apples for six months or more in an area where the temperature is between 30 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit (a root cellar, for instance).

KEEP APPLES SEPARATE We’ve all heard the phrase, “one bad apple rots the whole bunch.” And it’s true.

Apples give off ethylene, a natural gas, which causes vegetables such as lettuce to spoil faster. Keep apples in a separate refrigerator compartment, or in a sealed plastic bag.

In fact, just one bruised or rotten apple will give off enough ethylene to swiftly ripen (and rot) the others. If you have any bruises or soft spots on an apple, set it aside for eating or immediate cooking. Don’t store with other apples.

Best uses: An all-purpose apple when fresh, its flesh turns amazingly sweet during long-term storage and is then best for salads, fruit plates and snacking. They make for a nice, sweet-tart addition to applesauce. It’s a great dessert apple, too, retaining its shape when baked in pies, tarts and pancakes. We love them in apple crisps!

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RED DELICIOUS

The Red Delicious is grown throughout the U.S. and once was by far the most-popular apple. This deep-red apple is crisp and juicy when harvested in October. Unmistakable for its classic shape and deep red color, the Red Delicious is considered a good keeper.

Its sweet and mild-tasting flesh can get mealy and mushy, unless it’s stored in the refrigerator from start to finish. At Azure, they’re delivered cold. Keep them cold and you’ll get the best flavor and texture. Midseason apple.

Best uses: Enjoy this apple in snacks, salads and fruit cups, but it is a poor choice for baking. It makes great juice and cider.

Use Red Delicious with a green apple such as Granny Smith for a delicious juice blend.

GOLDEN RUSSET An heirloom variety from the 1800s, the Golden Russet apple is the quintessential cider apple.

Boasting a golden skin with brown spots, much like rusted metal, the apple has a sweet-tart and juicy flavor with enough sugar to make delicious cider. Late-season apple.

Best uses: This is the premier cider apple!

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HAVE AN APPLE, USE AN APPLE

o you have baking in mind for your apples? Or maybe you’re preparing a fall salad and don’t know which variety to use.

This handy list will help decipher which apple makes the best ingredient for your recipe or snacking plans. Note: This list is based on the varieties Azure sells.

FOR EATING

Excellent: Braeburn, Cameo, Fortune, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Pink Lady, Winesap, Early Blaze Golden Good: Gala, Ginger Gold, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Newtown Pippin, Red Delicious

SPITZENBERG

Excellent: Braeburn, Cameo, Fortune, Fuji, Ginger Gold, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Winesap Good: Gala, Granny Smith, Newtown Pippin, Pink Lady, Red Delicious

A hundred years ago, the Spitzenberg was considered to be the most gourmet apple available. One of the great American apple varieties, thought to be Thomas Jefferson’s favorite, the Spitzenberg is noted for its spicy flavor and buttery yellow flesh. The heirloom apple’s flavor improves with storage. Spitzenberg apple is a vibrant red, often capped with an orange to yellow blush. The Spitzenberg is considered a high-quality dessert apple and the most nutrient-dense. Late-season apple.

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FOR SALADS

FOR APPLESAUCE

Excellent: Braeburn, Elstar, Fortune, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Newtown Pippin, Winesap, Spitzenberg Good: Cameo, Ginger Gold, Pink Lady

Best uses: A dessert apple like no other, this heirloom variety is great in pies, tarts and crisps. It can be hollowed, stuffed and baked whole, or slow-cooked and pureed for applesauce. Its spicy sweetness makes an excellent choice for juices and ciders.

FOR BAKING

Excellent: Braeburn, Fortune, Honeycrisp, Spitzenberg, Newtown Pippin Good: Cameo, Gala, Ginger Gold, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Winesap

comes from the Northwest. The heirloom apple is medium-sized with a thick red skin and crisp, crunchy, juicy flesh. The flavor is sweetly tart with a winey aftertaste. Late-season apple.

Best uses: It is an excellent all-purpose apple, but it is best used in juice and cider. It tastes better after being stored for a while; in other words, it keeps well.

FOR PIE

Excellent: Braeburn, Fortune, Honeycrisp, Newtown Pippin, Granny Smith Good: Cameo, Fuji, Gala, Ginger Gold, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Winesap

loved. If you like your apples big, juicy and aromatic, then this is the variety for you, even if you — like us — don’t end up thinking “banana” whenever you take a whiff. Late-season apple.

Best uses: Equally good cooked as eaten fresh, this apple makes for some of the best juice. Because of its dense texture, slice this apple for easier eating.

WINTER BANANA

WINESAP

Thought to have originated in New Jersey in the late 1700s, Winesap (or Virginia Winesap) is one of the oldest apples still in commercial production. Although it is grown in most apple-producing regions, its heaviest volume

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An heirloom variety and an all-time classic, Winter Banana apples originated in Indiana in 1876. The name comes from its flavor, which some say is reminiscent of bananas. It looks hearty and tastes that way, too. Crisp and benefiting from an outstanding balance of sugar and acid, this is the sort of apple your grandparents Azure Standard ~ 971-200-8350